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DTSTART:20260308T080000
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261003T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261003T130000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T154540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T154540Z
UID:5840-1791032400-1791032400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Flash Forward
DESCRIPTION:Flash Forward is PorchLight’s monthly studio session for writers interested in short form writing: flash fiction\, micro essays\, prose poetry\, and more. Join them and learn more about these miniature marvels. Each session includes a discussion of short form works we love\, a generative writing prompt\, optional sharing\, and light positive feedback. \nWhether you’re new to these very short forms or an old hand\, they would love to have you! \nFirst meeting is free!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-flash-forward/2026-10-03/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261004T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261004T160000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260904T022515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T022515Z
UID:6082-1791129600-1791129600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PrairieLights: IWP Sunday Afternoon Reading Series
DESCRIPTION:Join them for their annual IWP Sunday Afternoon Reading Series! This week’s event features IWP Residents Sang Young Park (South Korea) and Yaiza Berrocal Guevara (Spain). They will be joined by Iowa Writers’ Workshop Fiction candidate\, Toye Oladinni\, and Associate Director of Writing Education for the Office of Writing and Communication at the University of Iowa\, Danielle Wheeler. \nSangyoung Park is a prominent South Korean novelist and screenwriter\, internationally recognized for his sharp emotional insight\, wit\, and nuanced exploration of urban life\, intimacy\, and identity. His bestselling novel\, Love in the Big City\, has been translated into more than twenty languages and was longlisted for the International Booker Prize\, the Dublin Literary Award\, and the Prix Médicis étranger. Beyond the page\, Park has established himself as a versatile creator\, serving as the writer and creator for the global television adaptation of his own work. \nYaiza Berrocal Guevara (playwright\, fiction writer\, screenwriter; Spain) is the author of a novel\, several plays and a screenplay. Her literary work includes Curling (2022)\, published in the UK in 2025 and forthcoming in Greek in 2026. She is currently working on her second novel\, Las promesas. As a playwright\, she received Spain’s Calderón de la Barca National Prize for La cadena del frío\, later staged in Sala Beckett\, Barcelona. Her other plays include Intenta viure sense mi\, Ni temeré les feres\, Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses nunca antes representadas (documentary theatre) and Flesh Market. She is also the screenwriter of the animated feature Black Butterflies\, winner of the Goya Award for Best Animated Film\, as well as the Gaudí\, Forqué\, Quirino\, and Platino awards\, and has written for prime-time television series. \nToye Oladinni is a British Nigerian writer and filmmaker from London. His work has appeared in Granta\, The Paris Review Daily\, and The Relegation Reader\, among other places\, and is forthcoming in the London Review of Books. He is currently studying for an MFA in Fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. \nDanielle Wheeler was born in a small town in the Midwest and was the 2010-2011 Rona Jaffe Fellow in Poetry at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop\, an instructor of Creative Writing Studio Workshop for undergraduates\, and a volunteer writing instructor with the Iowa Youth Writing Project. She is currently an instructor of writing and Associate Director\, Writing Education for the Office of Writing and Communication at the University of Iowa. Her first book\, Men of Northern Constellations\, is forthcoming in 2027.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/prairielights-iwp-sunday-afternoon-reading-series-5/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261008T190000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260904T022741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T022741Z
UID:6084-1791486000-1791486000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PrairieLights: Meghan O’Gieblyn in conv with Dr. Alison Lynch – Will and Attention
DESCRIPTION:Meghan O’Gieblyn will read from her new memoir\, Will and Attention\, and will be joined in conversation with Dr. Alison Lynch. Described as a “luminous memoir of secret drinking\, fragile recovery\, and the deep pull of religion\,” Will and Attention is praised by bestselling author Jia Tolentino as “one of the best memoirs of the decade\,” while University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program professor and bestselling author Melissa Febos says: “An elegant and philosophical memoir about addiction whose stakes are no less than what comprises one’s will to live\, what it means to be good\, and the worth of devotion. I savored equally O’Gieblyn’s sentences and the turns of her thought—at once precise as the cut of a razor and as pleasurably discursive as Montaigne.” \nMeghan O’Gieblyn is a writer and the author of God\, Human\, Animal\, Machine\, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology. Her first book\, Interior States\, won the 2018 Believer Book Award for nonfiction.  Her criticism and essays have appeared in Harper’s Magazine\, The New Yorker\, n+1\, The Point\, The Baffler\, Wired\, The New York Review of Books\, The Guardian\, The New York Times\, and other publications. \nAlison Lynch\, MD\, MS\, is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/prairielights-meghan-ogieblyn-in-conv-with-dr-alison-lynch-will-and-attention/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261009T190000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260904T022938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T022938Z
UID:6087-1791572400-1791572400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PrairieLights: Elizabeth Metzger\, Andrew Zawacki\, and Devin Johnston – The Going Is Forever\, These Late Eclipses\, Bright Thorn
DESCRIPTION:Elizabeth Metzger and Iowa Writers’ Worshop graduates\, Andrew Zawacki and Devin Johnston\, will read from their new poetry collections: The Going Is Forever\, These Late Eclipses\, and Bright Thorn\, respectively. \nElizabeth Metzger is the author of The Going Is Forever and Lying In\, as well as The Spirit Papers\, winner of the Juniper Prize for Poetry. She has published two chapbooks\, Bed and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Her poems have recently appeared in The New Yorker\, The Paris Review\, The New York Review\, TLS\, and Poetry. She is a poetry editor at The Los Angeles Review of Books and teaches poetry at 92NY and Columbia University. \nAndrew Zawacki is the author of five poetry books\, including Unsun : f/11 (Coach House\, 2019)\, Videotape (Counterpath\, 2013)\, and Petals of Zero Petals of One (Talisman House\, 2009). His poems have appeared in The New Yorker\, The New Republic\, The Nation\, and elsewhere. An editor and translator\, he is Distinguished Research Professor of English at the University of Georgia. \nDevin Johnston was born in 1970 and spent his childhood in North Carolina. He is the author of seven previous books of poetry and two books of prose\, including Creaturely and Other Essays. He works for Flood Editions\, an independent publishing house\, and teaches at Saint Louis University\, in Missouri\, where he lives.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/prairielights-elizabeth-metzger-andrew-zawacki-and-devin-johnston-the-going-is-forever-these-late-eclipses-bright-thorn/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261010T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261010T103000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260913T222153Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T222153Z
UID:6129-1791628200-1791628200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Poetry Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Porchlight’s low-pressure poetry workshop group! Participants should send one poem for workshop at least one week in advance of the gathering. Every participant should read each submission before the meeting and come prepared to share their thoughts during the meeting.  Someone other than the writer will read the poem first\, then the writer. \nFor more information\, head over to their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-poetry-exchange-2/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261010T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261010T130000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260708T153803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260708T153803Z
UID:5665-1791637200-1791637200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Queer Writers' Check In
DESCRIPTION:Similar to their Long Project Check In\, this group is for queer writers looking to build literary community together. Each session will include free writing\, discussion of works in progress\, and general literary support. Occasionally\, there will be guests and opportunities for trading work. \nVisit their website to RSVP!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-queer-writers-check-in/2026-10-10/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T153000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T152941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T152941Z
UID:5826-1791732600-1791732600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: The Prose Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Ready to get some eyes on your work? This group provides careful readings and positive\, descriptive feedback on works-in-progress. They meet twice a month and workshop two submissions of up to 20 pages at each meeting.  \nThey are currently open to adding one or two more members.  \nThey advise sitting in on a session to determine if this is the workshop for you.  \nFor more information on how to join\, visit their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-the-prose-exchange-2/2026-10-11/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260904T023206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T023206Z
UID:6090-1791734400-1791734400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PrairieLights: IWP Sunday Afternoon Reading Series
DESCRIPTION:Join them for their annual IWP Sunday Afternoon Reading Series! This week’s event features IWP Residents Radu Vancu (Sibiu\, Romania)\, Harumi Kawaguchi 川口晴美 (Japan)\, and Amber Esau (New Zealand). They will be joined by recent Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate\, Lizzie Cusick. \nRadu Vancu (Sibiu\, Romania\, 1978) is a Romanian poet\, scholar\, and translator. A professor in the Faculty of Letters and Arts at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu\, he is the editor-in-chief of Transilvania magazine and an editor of Poiesis Internațional. He previously served as as the national editor of the Romanian section of the Poetry International website\, and was president of PEN Romania between 2019–2023. Since 2013\, he has also been president of Sibiu’s international writing festival Poets in Transylvania. Vancu has published nine volumes of poems\, which have been translated into more than 20 languages in anthologies\, magazines\, and books. He has also published two novels\, Transparenta (2018) and Paradis (2025)\, and his first two books of poetry in English translation will be published in the U.S. in October 2026—Kaddish (tr. Sean Cotter\, Zephyr Press) and The Rope in Bloom (tr. Paula Console-Soican and Cyrus Console-Soican\, Phoenix Poets). \nHarumi Kawaguchi 川口晴美 is a poet based in Tokyo. Her latest poetry collection\, やがて魔女の森になる (To the Witches’ Forest\, Shicho-sha\, 2021) received the 30th Hagiwara Sakutarō Prize in 2022\, and her 13th collection\, Tiger is here. (Tiger is here.\, Shicho-sha\, 2015) won the 46th Takami Jun Prize in 2016. Her poetry explores women’s experiences and memory\, while also bridging literature and popular culture\, particularly manga and anime. Her poems have been translated into English\, German\, Italian\, and Korean\, and included in the anthologies such as Poet to Poet: Contemporary Women Poets from Japan (Recent Work Press\, 2017). She is increasingly interested in collaborative poetry translation\, which she started while she was a guest for Poetry on the Move Festival in Canberra in 2017. Her collaborative translations from English to Japanese have been published in the anthologies\, I am Ireland (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade\, Ireland\, 2025) and pleasant troubles (Recent Work Press\, 2018). She has edited several poetry anthologies and has been teaching creative writing over three decades. \nAmber Esau is the author of Hungus\, her debut poetry collection published earlier this year\, and co-editor of a queer poetry anthology\, Spoiled Fruit (2023). She has performed her poetry extensively\, and her work has been published in various journals and anthologies in Aotearoa-New Zealand. She is working on a mixed media speculative fantasy novel set in the South Pacific. \nLizzie Cusick is a poet and dermatologist who recently received her MFA in from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She teaches medical residents and fellows at the University and is interested in writing as a means of attending to both the body and natural world with deep care and close observation. She is currently working on completing her first book of poems for publication.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/prairielights-iwp-sunday-afternoon-reading-series-6/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261012
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261013
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260813T185027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T185027Z
UID:5895-1791763200-1791849599@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Paul Engle Day
DESCRIPTION:In 2000\, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack declared Oct. 12 to be “Paul Engle Day\,” in honor of the Iowa-born poet who served as head of the Writer’s Workshop from 1942 to 1977\, helping to develop it from an obscure experimental program to an internationally renowned literary center. \nCheck out the City of Literature documentary to learn more about Engle and how Iowa City become the capital of creative writing in America. \n\n  \n 
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/paul-engle-day/
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261015T190000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260727T155351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T155351Z
UID:5761-1792090800-1792090800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Sidekick – Reading and signing with Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
DESCRIPTION:Join Sidekick Coffee and Books for a reading by author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne for her new book “What Feeds Below.” Purchase of one book admits two guests. \nAbout the book: \nThe darkness isn’t empty. It’s hungry. \nAt the edge of the City of the Void\, a massive chasm extends miles into the earth\, its treacherous terrain overrun with vicious monsters and carnivorous plants. For orphaned best friends Petra and Jade\, guiding treasure-seeking tourists down into the Void is the only way to earn enough to pull themselves up out of the slums for good. \nPetra prefers to play it safe and take jobs only in the Void’s upper levels\, where the dangers are better understood\, while Jade wants to risk a decent to the deepest and most mysterious Sixth Layer. Because the deeper they go\, the better the payout\, and the sooner their dreams can become reality. Their friendship is Petra’s whole world\, and Jades approval means everything – so Petra agrees to do it Jade’s way. \nWhen their job goes wring and Jade is lost in the Void\, Petra must plunge deeper than she’s ever dared to save her friend. But she doesn’t know the truth of the Void… or what really waits for her in its depths.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/sidekick-reading-and-signing-with-tatiana-schlote-bonne/
LOCATION:Sidekick Coffee & Books\, 1310 1/2 Melrose Avenue\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52242\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261016T190000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260904T023414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T023414Z
UID:6092-1792177200-1792177200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PrairieLights: Emily Ogden – Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe
DESCRIPTION:Emily Ogden will read from her new book\, Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe. Described as “A fascinating and intimate inquiry into Edgar Allan Poe’s shadowy life and horrifyingly compelling work” (penguinrandomhouse.com)\, Darkness Becomes Bright is praised by Meghan O’Rourke\, author of The Invisible Kingdom\, as “profoundly insightful\,” while Sarah Waters\, author of The Paying Guests\, says: “A wonderfully engaging account of Poe’s troubled life and work that is also a celebration of artistic cross-fertilization. Nimble\, generous\, brimming with insight\, Ogden’s book captures the richness\, the strangeness and the unexpected beauty to be found in our enduring fascination with the dark places of the soul.” \nEmily Ogden is the author of On Not Knowing: How to Love and Other Essays and Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship\, a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant\, and a Mellon Fellowship in the Columbia Society of Fellows\, she is a professor of English at the University of Virginia.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/prairielights-emily-ogden-darkness-becomes-bright-on-the-brief-life-and-immortal-art-of-edgar-allan-poe/
LOCATION:Prairie Lights Books\, 15 S. Dubuque St.\, Iowa City\, IA\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261018
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261026
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260507T150646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T151923Z
UID:5537-1792281600-1792972799@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Iowa City Book Festival
DESCRIPTION: The Iowa City Book Festival is happening October 18–25\, 2026! Join us for a week of literary events\, author talks\, readings\, and more at various locations throughout downtown Iowa City.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/iowa-city-book-festival-2/
LOCATION:Downtown Iowa City
CATEGORIES:General
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T100000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260708T155437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T222450Z
UID:5674-1792317600-1792317600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Writing Grief
DESCRIPTION:Grief Writing – A monthly exploration of loss and heartbreak \nJennifer New leads this monthly group that uses writing as a reflective tool to explore loss. Francis Weller’s Five Gates of Grief provides a backbone to consider grief from multiple angles\, e.g.\, death of loved ones\, loss of health or ability\, grief for the world. This is an ongoing group; you’re welcome to attend once or each time. No writing experience is needed.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-writing-grief-2026-10-04/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261018T140000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260902T144746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T145505Z
UID:6041-1792332000-1792332000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:Christopher Merrill Receives the 2026 Paul Engle Prize
DESCRIPTION:Christopher Merrill has been named the 15th recipient of the Paul Engle Prize\, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization. \nThe prize\, established in 2011\, honors an individual who\, like Paul Engle\, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing\, editing\, publishing\, or teaching\, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts. \nThe prize includes a $25\,000 award and a one-of-a-kind work of art. Merrill\, who retired at the end of 2025 after 25 years as the director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa\, will receive the award at a ceremony at 2 p.m. on Oct. 18\, at the Coralville Public Library. Loren Glass\, chair of the UI English Department\, will interview Merrill as part of the program. The event\, which kicks off the 2026 Iowa City Book Festival\, is free and open to the public. \nMerrill said he was honored to receive the prize. \n“Paul Engle set a dynamic example of literary engagement\, as a poet and writer\, teacher and director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and International Writing Program (IWP). And his creative thinking has been for me a spur to try new things during my tenure in Iowa\, and so it is a thrill to receive an award in his name.” \nMerrill was born in Northampton\, Massachusetts and raised in New Jersey. He holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middlebury College\, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Washington. \nHe has published more than 10 collections of poetry\, including Watch Fire\, for which he received the Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets\, and On the Road to Lviv; many edited volumes and translations; and seven books of nonfiction\, among them\, Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars\, Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain\, and The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony\, Expedition\, War. His writings have been translated into nearly 40 languages; his journalism appears widely; his honors include a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French government\, numerous translation awards\, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial and Ingram Merrill Foundations. \nAs director of IWP\, Merrill conducted cultural diplomacy missions to more than 50 countries. He served on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 2011-2018\, and in April 2012 President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Council on the Humanities. \nThe Paul Engle Prize is made possible through the generous support of the City of Coralville\, which is home to 11 permanent sculptures with artistic and literary ties to Iowa. The sculptures all have ties to work found in The Iowa Writers’ Library\, housed in the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel\, which features about 800 books written by former students\, graduates and faculty of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. \nThe Engle Prize itself is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Each piece is crafted to reflect the work and impact of the recipient\, while tying it to the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. \nPaul Engle (October 12\, 1908 – March 22\, 1991)\, though best remembered as the long-time director of the Writers’ Workshop and co-founder with his wife\, Hualing Nieh Engle\, of the UI’s International Writing Program\, also was a well-regarded poet\, playwright\, essayist\, editor and critic. In 2000\, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack declared Engle’s birthday\, Oct. 12\, as “Paul Engle Day” in Iowa. \nPrevious winners of the prize are James Alan McPherson\, Kwame Dawes\, Luis Alberto Urrea\, Roxane Gay\, Alexander Chee\, Dina Nayeri\, Toi Derricotte\, Cornelius Eady\, Dr. Eve L. Ewing\, Rebecca Solnit\, Joan Naviyuk Kane\, Camille Dungy\, and Cole Swensen. Visit www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-day for more information about the prize and past winners.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/christopher-merrill-receives-the-2026-paul-engle-prize/
LOCATION:Coralville Public Library\, 1401 5th St.\, Coralville\, IA\, 52241\, United States
CATEGORIES:General,Iowa City Book Festival
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261019T103000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260714T160440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T160440Z
UID:5686-1792405800-1792405800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Write Now - Community Supported Writing Group
DESCRIPTION:PorchLight’s Write Now Writer’s Group provides community\, and learning opportunities for beginning to intermediate writers. At their monthly meetings\, share short craft lessons\, generate writing from prompts\, and\, on occasion\, provide responses to participants’ work in progress. Writers working in any genre are welcome. \nThis is a great group for writers who have not had the time or opportunity to pursue a traditional MFA. \nRSVP one week in advance on their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-write-now-community-supported-writing-group/2026-10-19/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-14-at-10.57.53-AM.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261025T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261025T153000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T152941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T152941Z
UID:5827-1792942200-1792942200@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: The Prose Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Ready to get some eyes on your work? This group provides careful readings and positive\, descriptive feedback on works-in-progress. They meet twice a month and workshop two submissions of up to 20 pages at each meeting.  \nThey are currently open to adding one or two more members.  \nThey advise sitting in on a session to determine if this is the workshop for you.  \nFor more information on how to join\, visit their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-the-prose-exchange-2/2026-10-25/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_8350b311c14c44f8b461627d4c759adcmv2.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261107T130000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T154540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T154540Z
UID:5841-1794056400-1794056400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Flash Forward
DESCRIPTION:Flash Forward is PorchLight’s monthly studio session for writers interested in short form writing: flash fiction\, micro essays\, prose poetry\, and more. Join them and learn more about these miniature marvels. Each session includes a discussion of short form works we love\, a generative writing prompt\, optional sharing\, and light positive feedback. \nWhether you’re new to these very short forms or an old hand\, they would love to have you! \nFirst meeting is free!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-flash-forward/2026-11-07/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_15977cbd84104d329b0338a9257e9979mv2.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261108T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261108T153000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T152941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T152941Z
UID:5828-1794151800-1794151800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: The Prose Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Ready to get some eyes on your work? This group provides careful readings and positive\, descriptive feedback on works-in-progress. They meet twice a month and workshop two submissions of up to 20 pages at each meeting.  \nThey are currently open to adding one or two more members.  \nThey advise sitting in on a session to determine if this is the workshop for you.  \nFor more information on how to join\, visit their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-the-prose-exchange-2/2026-11-08/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_8350b311c14c44f8b461627d4c759adcmv2.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261115T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261115T100000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260708T155437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260913T220711Z
UID:5675-1794736800-1794736800@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Writing Grief
DESCRIPTION:Grief Writing – A monthly exploration of loss and heartbreak \nJennifer New leads this monthly group that uses writing as a reflective tool to explore loss. Francis Weller’s Five Gates of Grief provides a backbone to consider grief from multiple angles\, e.g.\, death of loved ones\, loss of health or ability\, grief for the world. This is an ongoing group; you’re welcome to attend once or each time. No writing experience is needed.
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-writing-grief-2026-11-15/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Porch3.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261122T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261122T153000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T152941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T152941Z
UID:5829-1795361400-1795361400@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: The Prose Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Ready to get some eyes on your work? This group provides careful readings and positive\, descriptive feedback on works-in-progress. They meet twice a month and workshop two submissions of up to 20 pages at each meeting.  \nThey are currently open to adding one or two more members.  \nThey advise sitting in on a session to determine if this is the workshop for you.  \nFor more information on how to join\, visit their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-the-prose-exchange-2/2026-11-22/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_8350b311c14c44f8b461627d4c759adcmv2.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261205T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261205T130000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T154540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T154540Z
UID:5842-1796475600-1796475600@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: Flash Forward
DESCRIPTION:Flash Forward is PorchLight’s monthly studio session for writers interested in short form writing: flash fiction\, micro essays\, prose poetry\, and more. Join them and learn more about these miniature marvels. Each session includes a discussion of short form works we love\, a generative writing prompt\, optional sharing\, and light positive feedback. \nWhether you’re new to these very short forms or an old hand\, they would love to have you! \nFirst meeting is free!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-flash-forward/2026-12-05/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_15977cbd84104d329b0338a9257e9979mv2.avif
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261206T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261206T153000
DTSTAMP:20260922T223302
CREATED:20260811T152941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T152941Z
UID:5830-1796571000-1796571000@www.iowacityofliterature.org
SUMMARY:PorchLight: The Prose Exchange
DESCRIPTION:Ready to get some eyes on your work? This group provides careful readings and positive\, descriptive feedback on works-in-progress. They meet twice a month and workshop two submissions of up to 20 pages at each meeting.  \nThey are currently open to adding one or two more members.  \nThey advise sitting in on a session to determine if this is the workshop for you.  \nFor more information on how to join\, visit their website!
URL:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/event/porchlight-the-prose-exchange-2/2026-12-06/
LOCATION:PorchLight Literary Arts Center\, 1019 E Washington St\, Iowa City\, 52240\, United States
CATEGORIES:General
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.iowacityofliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/82ce62_8350b311c14c44f8b461627d4c759adcmv2.avif
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR